Open 7 Days a Week? The Real Cost of Losing the Weekend [E099]
Thank You To Our Partners AutoFlow, Shop Dog Marketing, InBound, and Service Advisor Training
In this episode, I take on a question that sits at the intersection of economics, history, and something older than both. Should your automotive service facility be open seven days a week? What about Saturdays? And if you stagger the schedule so everyone still gets their days off, is that good enough?
I introduce the concept of the network good, the economic principle that a shared day of rest is worth fundamentally more than a private one, and trace it through one of history's stranger experiments: Joseph Stalin's 1929 attempt to replace the seven-day week with a continuous rotating workweek. He had total industrial authority and a radical design. The thing he was trying to replace proved more durable than his system.
We also spend some time with Thomas Cahill's “Hingest of History” series investigating the origins of western thought. Beyond that, you'll even learn a few Russian words, as I found it fascinating how their language had built in, deep meaning that no regime could undo.
I hope you enjoy this thought provoking topic, and as a takeaway from this episode, that you will consider carefully the potential consequences for all of your team members before you make a decision on your hours for the weekend.
The Word of the Day:
Synchrony (noun): The state of occurring or existing at the same time.
From the Greek syn (together) and chronos (time). Synchrony is not merely simultaneity. It carries the idea of shared time, time that belongs to a group rather than an individual.
Sincerely,
Craig O'Neill
References
- Alex Mayyasi, "Why Weekends Are Under Threat," The Hustle. Adapted from Planet Money: A Guide to the Economic Forces That Shape Your Life (NPR/Rodale, 2024).
- Cristobal Young and Chaeyoon Lim, "Time as a Network Good: Evidence from Unemployment and the Standard Workweek," Sociological Science, 2014.
- Thomas Cahill, The Gifts of the Jews: How a Tribe of Desert Nomads Changed the Way Everyone Thinks and Feels (New York: Nan A. Talese/Doubleday, 1998).
- Psalm 92, A Song for the Sabbath Day.
Thank You To Our Partners AutoFlow, AutoLeap, Shop Dog Marketing, InBound, and Service Advisor Training
Your partner in technology, Autoflow consolidates your client interactions - before, during, and after the visit to a single thread. An end-to-end CRM for auto repair shops. https://autoflow.com/
Want to see your auto repair shop thrive? Let Shop Dog Marketing be your guide. Our customer-first approach, combined with AI-driven creative content, ensures top rankings. https://shopdogmarketing.com/
Cover your communication needs and revolutionize your auto repair business with AI-driven call analytics from InBound. https://callinbound.com/
Want a more profitable shop? Start with your service advisor. They are the face of your business, the voice on the phone, and the key to every approved repair. Download 'Words That Work - The Service Advisor's Complete Phone Scripts Playbook at https://serviceadvisortraining.com/
Contact Information
- Email Craig O'Neill: speakup@craigoneill.net
- Join Our Virtual Toastmasters Club: https://remarkableresults.biz/toastmasters
The Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/
Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: Advancing the Aftermarket by Facilitating Wisdom Through Story Telling and Open Discussion. https://remarkableresults.biz/
Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life. https://mattfanslow.captivate.fm/
Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest. https://huntdemarest.captivate.fm/
The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: Marketing Experts Brian & Kim Walker Work with Shop Owners to Take it to the Next Level. https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/
The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching. https://chriscotton.captivate.fm/
